How to Size a Whole House Generator for Your North Carolina Home
From coastal hurricanes to mountain ice storms, North Carolina has no shortage of outages. A standby generator restores power automatically within seconds. Here is how to choose the right size.
Essential circuits vs whole house
An "essential circuits" setup backs up the refrigerator, well pump, furnace fan, some lights and outlets — typically a 10–14 kW generator. A whole house setup, including central air, usually requires 18–26 kW or a liquid-cooled unit for larger homes.
Do a load calculation
Our electricians add up running and starting wattages for the loads you want covered. Air conditioners and well pumps have high starting loads that must be accounted for.
Fuel source
Natural gas is convenient where available; propane is the norm in rural areas. Your gas contractor handles the fuel line while we handle the electrical.
Automatic transfer switch
The transfer switch isolates your home from the grid and starts the generator automatically. Load-shedding modules let a smaller generator handle larger homes by prioritizing circuits.
Portable generator option
A manual transfer switch or interlock with an inlet lets you safely power essential circuits from a portable generator. Never backfeed through a dryer outlet.
Learn more about generator installation or see local pages for Wilmington, Jacksonville, New Bern and Raleigh.